


Making Memories or Somethin'

by Thal



Series: This Hunting Life [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Birthday, Cranky Dean Winchester, Dean is a Softie, Dean's Birthday, F/M, Fluff, Ghosts, Holiday, Impala, Lingerie, Panicked Dean Winchester, Pie, Sam calls Dean a Grinch, Sam is understanding, Shifter, Special Occasion, Supportive Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 02:14:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14178324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thal/pseuds/Thal
Summary: Memorable moments for Dean and the Reader as they start celebrating special occasions together.The first three chapters are part of the original story line of the "This Hunting Life" series and fall in chronological order, but I've decided to lump them as one continual work to keep any future holiday/special occasion stories together as they will mostly be one shots and not plot critical to the main story line. These will always be more on the fluffy side of things.





	1. Christmas Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> [Y/N] - Your name  
> [Y/LN] - Your last name  
> [Y/NN] - Your nickname  
> [E/C] - eye color  
> [H/C] - hair color  
> [H/L] - hair length

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Reader decides to surprise the Winchesters with a little holiday cheer in the bunker, except Dean isn't exactly in the holiday spirit when he returns from a hunt gone wrong.

[Y/N] [Y/LN] put her phone down on the table with a heavy sigh. She had been trying to reach Sam and Dean Winchester for two days, but her calls only went to voicemail. She was not terribly worried, Dean had warned her they would need to find the werewolves' cabin in the woods of Vermont and their cell phones might not have reception. But not knowing for certain that the Winchesters were alive and well sucked. Being sidelined because of her damned fever sucked even more. [Y/N] wanted to be with Sam and Dean, fighting alongside them instead of holed up in the bunker under several blankets and constantly clutching wads of tissue for her incessantly runny nose.  
Being in the bunker alone was making the [H/L], [H/C] haired hunter bored. She was tired of watching movies by herself. Dean warned her to rest and take it easy, but he and his younger brother had been gone for five days, and [Y/N] desperately wanted a change of scenery. She wandered into the library, but scowled at the pile of books Sam had left out for her. She had finished pouring over the last book three days ago and had texted Sam the little bit of information she could find for him. He texted back a quick thank you, the last contact she had with either brother.  
[Y/N] shook her head, doing her best not to start imagining worst case scenarios. She hated not being able to talk to her boyfriend for this long, but Dean promised her that as soon as they ganked the werewolves, he would call her. Still, she was growing antsier with each passing hour, and she desperately needed a distraction; something she could do that would get her out of the bunker, but not overly tax her with her current cold.  
Christmas was coming in a couple days, but there were no decorations up. [Y/N] loved the holiday as a child, but after her parents died and she was thrown into the world of hunting alone, she stopped observing Christmas because it was too painful for her without her family. She missed their tradition of decorating the tree with them, listening to Christmas songs, and the holiday meal her mother always prepared. Those happier times were lost to her, all because some demon wanted vengeance over her bloodline. The demon was dead now, but [Y/N] was the only living member of her family. Holidays had become empty to her without a family to share it with and she simply started treating them as just another day. But now she had a ragtag family of sorts with Dean and his younger brother, and that angel friend of theirs. Maybe she could share the holiday with them. She did miss her family's traditions.  
She had not been with the Winchesters long enough to know if they did anything for Christmas, but she did not think they would begrudge her a simple holiday. She had already bought their gifts a few weeks ago, presuming that even if they normally did not do anything for the holiday, they still wouldn't mind a little token of appreciation. It would be nice to have a tree to put their presents under, so [Y/N] decided to poke around the storage rooms to see if there were any decorations to be found. Then she would shop for some food to make them a proper Christmas dinner.  
\--------------------  
[Y/N] was exhausted, but she managed to wrestle the boxes of decorations out of storage and drag them into the library. She bought a few ornaments and tinsel garlands for the tree and the food for the holiday feast last night, after discovering a tree and some other artificial greenery in boxes, and now that it was Christmas Eve day, she was tackling the task of setting everything up to surprise the guys. She played holiday music on her phone, singing along to the songs she knew.  
She only had a few hours to get the room ready, as Sam texted her that morning to let her know they were on the road. The hunt had been rough, or so he implied and Dean was passed out in the back of the Impala while Sam drove. But Sam said they would get back around 6 or 7pm in the evening. So [Y/N] spent the morning making sugar cookies, gingerbread men, eggnog, and a couple cherry pies. Now it was early afternoon and she started hanging garlands of holly on the bookshelves and tied red bows on the light fixtures as she sang along to "Winter Wonderland", swinging her hips to the music as she worked.  
By 5pm [Y/N] had finished decorating the room and setting up the Christmas tree. She wanted to wait to decorate the tree, as she wanted to have Sam and Dean with her for that part. She set the ornaments she purchased on a nearby table, along with the box of air fresheners, fish bobbers, and other odds and ends all affixed to stings as makeshift ornaments. She was not sure if these things held any sentimental value to them, but as they were packed away with the other decorations she felt it only right to include the makeshift ornaments in her renewed holiday tradition.  
Humming along to "I'll be Home for Christmas", [Y/N] stepped back to admire her handiwork with a satisfied nod before heading to the kitchen to make herself a mug of hot chocolate to relax with as she waited for Sam and Dean to return.  
\--------------------  
[Y/N]'s [E/C] eyes widened in horror as Dean, cursing, yanked his duffle bag roughly to free the handle from the tree branch that snagged it. The tree wobbled and Sam caught it, carefully steadying it and shooting Dean a stern look that went unnoticed by his older brother.  
"Why the Hell is this tree here?" Dean grumbled, a deep scowl marring his handsome features.  
"Dean." Sam cautioned, stepping away from the tree.  
"I thought, because it's Christmas, it would be nice to put a tree up." [Y/N] numbly answered, her voice quiet.  
"Yeah, well it's kinda in the way, [Y/N]." Dean grumbled, pushing past her, not seeing the pained tears welling up in her eyes as he stormed off to his room.  
Sam did notice, and he put a hand on her shoulder lightly, giving it a gentle squeeze.  
"It didn't go very well. Some people died and Dean blames himself." He sighed. "He's not really in the right mood for all this, but the room looks nice, [Y/N]. I'll go talk to him, then I'll grab us some dinner."  
Sam trotted down the hall after Dean, leaving a devastated [Y/N] alone staring dismally at the room. She slowly made her way to the closest light fixture and pulled the ribbon down as a tear slid down her cheek.  
\--------------------  
"Dude, what the Hell? [Y/N] was only trying to do something nice for us." Sam leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his broad chest. "She was near tears when you left. You couldn't just say something nice to her? You had to go all Grinch instead?"  
"Damn it, Sammy, I know I messed up. Just... just let her come yell at me for a bit and I'll make it up to her, and we can have our Christmas." Dean sat heavily on his bed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll fix things with [Y/NN]."  
"Fine, I'm gonna change then I'll get food. Chinese probably. Can't imagine anything else will be open now." Sam sighed and straightened, rolling his shoulders. "Listen, Dean, I get it. If we had figured it out sooner, those people might still be alive. But if we never figured it out, a whole lot more would be dead now. And we did figure it out, so all those people ain't dead. I think [Y/N] had the right idea, we could use a little Christmas now."  
"I know. I'll fix it, man." Dean flopped backwards on his bed with a groan after Sam left, waiting on his girlfriend to come and have it out with him.  
\--------------------  
"Dean!" Sam's shout sent Dean running down the hall in a panic, for [Y/N] still had not sought him out. Dean came to a sudden stop beside his brother in the doorway of the library. The room was devoid of decorations. "She took away Christmas."  
"Shit." Dean breathed, shaking his head. "Where is she?"  
"Not sure. I haven't seen her in a while." Sam looked around the room, his shoulders drooping. "I'll run out for the food."  
Sam made his way out the heavy door into the night while Dean frowned at the no longer festive room. He cursed softly, shaking his head as he started to look for [Y/N].  
\--------------------  
"What do you mean she's still in the bunker, Cas?" Dean asked, agitated as [Y/N] was still missing and Dean was convinced she took off. "She ain't in her room, or anywhere else we've looked."  
"She is still in the bunker." Castiel stated, his blue eyes reflecting confusion at Dean's question. "Perhaps she is in a room we have not searched?"  
"Obviously." Dean ran a hand down his face. "Can you just zap us to her, or whatever it is you do?"  
"Perhaps." The dark haired angel shook his head. "I may be able to get us close to her, but I am not quite certain where she is here. She is asleep."  
At that, Dean and Castiel stood in a lower level hallway where several rooms were used for storage. Dean's green eyes widened as he realized where [Y/N] would have been.  
"She fell asleep in here." Dean said with a heavy sigh, opening the door to the room they used to store the holiday decorations. Sure enough, [Y/N] sat on the floor, leaning against the box the artificial tree was stored in, her eyes closed and cheeks still moist from her tears. He groaned softly as he knelt beside her and gently lifted the sleeping hunter in his arms. "I am such an ass."  
Dean stood, carefully cradling [Y/N] against his firm chest, placing a soft kiss to the top of her head.  
"Cas, I got a favor to ask of you."  
\--------------------  
[Y/N] murmured lightly as her eyes fluttered open to find herself in Dean's bed, Dean's arm slung over her. He was caressing her forearm with his thumb, his chest pressed against her back as his breath warmed her cheek.  
"You awake, baby?" Dean pressed a kiss to her cheek.  
"Dean?" [Y/N] rolled over in his arms to find Dean's green eyes gazing at her. She lowered her gaze to his chest. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to upset you with the tree..."  
Dean lifted her chin with his forefinger, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.  
"I don't deserve you, [Y/N]." He hugged her close to him. "I screwed up tonight. I'm the one who's sorry. You do so much for us, for me. And I really do appreciate it, even if I don't say it. You are everything to me." He kissed her again. "I screwed up bad tonight, so if you gotta yell at me, go for it."  
"Wait, so you're not mad at me?" [Y/N] blinked at him, confused.  
"I wasn't mad at you before either, but I took my mood out on you. And the tree. I feel like an ass." Dean sighed. "I'm sorry I messed up your Christmas, [Y/NN]."  
"Hey." [Y/N] pressed a kiss to Dean's lips, her fingers playing with his dirty blond hair as he returned the kiss. Slowly she pulled away and sat up on the bed, Dean propping himself up on one arm to look at her. "I still love you, Dean Winchester, even if you're sometimes an ass. And maybe we can still salvage Christmas, it's not 'til tomorrow anyway." She sighed. "I took down the decorations. Can we, maybe, just put the tree back up?"  
"Just the tree?" Dean grinned and took her hand, pulling her off the bed. "C'mon, [Y/NN], I want to show you something."  
\--------------------  
[Y/N] stood in the library, her mouth agape at the beautiful decorations adorning the walls. The tree was back up, now dressed with multicolored lights. There was even a garland of greenery around the Chinese takeout that Sam arranged on the table. Sam and Castiel smiled at her as she took in the sight of the room. Dean hugged her from behind.  
"We didn't want to decorate the tree without you, but I hope the rest is OK." Dean pecked her cheek chastely. "Sam and Cas helped. Actually I think Cas did most of the work from the looks of it."  
"It's perfect." [Y/N] breathed in awe.  
"We all want to celebrate Christmas with you." Sam said. "So let's decorate this tree so we can eat."  
\--------------------  
"I'll make Christmas dinner with you tomorrow, [Y/NN]." Dean murmured as he sidled up the [Y/N] and wrapped his arms around her as she gazed at the tree, now decorated with presents sitting beneath it. "Can't have you spending the whole day in the kitchen. I want you to enjoy your Christmas tomorrow, baby."  
"Don't you mean today?" [Y/N] turned to face Dean, a playful smile gracing her face. Dean slid his hands to her hips, holding her close. "It's after midnight now."  
"In that case, I got a present you can unwrap in the bedroom." Dean smirked, pressing kisses up [Y/N]'s neck, making the [H/L], [H/C] haired woman giggle. Sam groaned, having walked in to the room at the worst time. He hastily retreated, dragging Castiel along with him. Dean chuckled and kissed [Y/N] deeply. "Merry Christmas, [Y/NN]."


	2. Lost Focus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since it was the Reader's birthday and I'm a Dean fangirl, this was originally released on my birthday. Hence why it falls between the Christmas story and the one for Dean's birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Y/N] - your name  
> [Y/LN] - your last name  
> [Y/NN] - your nickname  
> [E/C] - eye color  
> [H/C] - hair color  
> [H/L] - hair length

"So we got two ghosts in the house. And they died in a fire trying to save their kid, right?" [Y/N] [Y/LN] muse aloud as she pulled her [H/L], [H/C] hair back and retied it in an elastic while she peered over the broad shoulder of Sam Winchester to get a look at the screen of the laptop that sat on the small motel room table. She reread the article thoughtfully. "So maybe there's one of the kid's toys or something they're connected to. Or maybe a painting? It wasn't like the whole house went up, so something survived."  
"Yeah, probably." Sam ran a hand across his jaw as he stared at the screen, his brow furrowed. "It's sad, the whole family dies, and the parents never got reconnected with their son."  
"You OK, Sam?" [Y/N] watched her friend as he leaned back with a heavy sigh, her [E/C] eyes full of concern.   
"I'm fine." Sam said, forcing a dry laugh. "It's just that it's a fire. I know it's not the same, but it triggered some memories. I'm OK, [Y/N]."  
[Y/N] nodded quietly. Dean Winchester had told her the story of the night their mother died in a fire because of a demon. She gave Sam's shoulder a squeeze. He exhaled through his nose and shook his head.  
"I'm good, don't worry." He gave her a grin. "Besides, it's your birthday, you shouldn't be worrying about me. Sorry Dean had to leave so early to interview those teenagers, but he wanted to catch them before they went to school. He didn't want to wake you."  
"No worries, Sam. You treating me to breakfast for my birthday more than made up for it." [Y/N] grinned back at him. "Besides, Dean's focused on the case, I get it. He's gotta interview the only witnesses we've got. I can deal with taking back seat until we deal with these ghosts."  
[Y/N]'s phone vibrated on the table. She picked it up and read the text message from Dean. She showed the text to Sam.  
"Looks like Dean's in a hurry to do this. He's on his way back."  
\--------------------  
The house was dilapidated at best, a combination of charred remnants of a house and rotting wood from years of neglect. Most of the windows had been busted in by kids chucking stones at the abandoned building over the years, and the high weeds and wild shrubbery pretty much assured that pastime was long forgotten. The house had a reputation of being haunted and, of course, the local teenagers were inclined to dare each other to enter the place. Occasionally someone was brave enough to accept the dare but would only remain inside long enough to hear noises and rush back out. Up until recently, the ghosts only tried to scare the trespassing youths. Some kid had tried to start a small fire in the house a few weeks back, and earned a broken arm from an object being tossed at him by an unseen, shrieking entity.  
As the Impala rolled to a stop and the hunters emerged from the car, [Y/N] stared at the remains of the building before them, a feeling of trepidation washing over her. Sam and Dean busied themselves pulling supplies from the trunk. Dean shouldered a duffle bag and nudged [Y/N] with his arm. When she looked at him he pressed a shot gun in her hands.  
"You ready, [Y/NN]?" He asked gruffly, watching her carefully as he rest a hand on her shoulder.  
"Yeah." She nodded. "It's just the house doesn't look too sturdy."  
"Pretty sure the place is condemned." Sam noted, staring at the structure for a moment before starting toward the front door. "Watch your step."   
"We've got this. C'mon, [Y/N]!" Dean pulled [Y/N] close with one arm and kissed her on the top of her head before pulling away and sprinting to get ahead of Sam. [Y/N] jogged after them as Dean called over his shoulder to spur them on before he kicked open the door.  
\------------------  
A tattered book glanced off Sam's shoulder as he grunted and ducked behind an overturned end table while Dean fired a shot at the male ghost, temporarily dispersing him. [Y/N] reloaded her shot gun quickly, taking cover behind the sofa. The second ghost, the wife, had chased them from the bedroom they had been trying to search, but did not leave the room to pursue them. Dean hunkered down beside [Y/N] as he reloaded his shot gun and she kept watch.  
"Find anything, Sammy?" Dean yelled as his younger brother began trying to burn a few toys and books that they had been able to grab from what they presumed was the kid's room. The ghost upstairs began shrieking and the male ghost appeared in the doorway. "Never mind, got my answer."  
[Y/N] shot the ghost in the doorway, dispelling him again. "This is getting old, guys."  
"There isn't much here, I'm not sure what we're looking for." Sam groaned joining them behind the sofa.  
"Maybe there's a photo album or something?" [Y/N] said hopefully. "Look, there's only two ghosts. You guys look down here and deal with the papa ghost, I'll try to see what I can find upstairs. Mama ghost doesn't seem to be so violent, so I think I'll be OK."  
Dean frowned and grabbed [Y/N]'s wrist before she could try to dash upstairs, his green eyes locking on her [E/C] ones. [Y/N] immediately recognized the anxious look within.  
"Promise me you'll be careful." Dean ordered, his voice low. "If it gets hairy, just shoot the ghost and come back, OK? Don't do anything stupid, [Y/NN]. I don't want you getting hurt."  
"I'm not stupid, Dean." [Y/N] grumbled.  
"I didn't say that." Dean scowled at her. "Promise me?"  
"I can't have any fun." With a heavy sigh and an overly dramatic eye roll that earned a chuckle from Sam, [Y/N] nodded. "Fine. I promise."  
Sam jumped up and fired a shot at the ghost who briefly appeared at the far end of the room.  
"Go play." Dean tried to suppress a grin and let go of [Y/N]'s wrist, laughing when she nearly skipped out of the room. "I swear you're giving me gray hairs, baby."  
\--------------------  
[Y/N] searched the kid's room, trying to find something that the ghosts would be tethered to, but most everything left was charred or broken. Nothing seemed right. And the female ghost had remained in the hallway after [Y/N] initially fired a rock salt round at her, making [Y/N] less confident that what they were looking for would be found in this room after all.  
Another shot rang out downstairs, telling her Sam and Dean were still busy with the ghost of the father. A few colorful words echoed up the stairs in Dean's gruff voice, and [Y/N] knew he was getting frustrated. She shared his frustration, and readied her shot gun for another round so that she could get into the room across the hall. She quickly shot at the mother's ghost and sprinted across the hallway into what she suspected was the parent's room. Her [E/C] eyes darted about the room looking for a neglected photo album, some handmade gift, or possibly a piece of jewelry or other memento, noting part of the floor was buckled.   
Keeping as close to the walls as possible, [Y/N] made her way across the room, searching for anything of significance. There was very little in the room that had not been ravaged by fire and time, much to the [H/C] haired hunter's dismay. An ear piercing shriek erupted from the hall, making [Y/N] spin around as the female ghost appeared in the doorway, advancing on [Y/N].  
"[Y/N]!" Dean bellowed from below, his voice edged with worry as heavy foot falls raced up the stairs. "Watch out, the father's heading for you!"  
No sooner than Dean finished the words, the father's ghost appeared before her, and [Y/N] stumbled backwards, moving away from the wall.  
"Shit!" She muttered taking a few more steps away. She fired at the father only to have the mother rush at her.   
[Y/N] leapt to her left as Dean and Sam reached the doorway. Dean fired at the ghost as the floor boards beneath [Y/N] groaned and shuddered. Panic rising in her at the realization of what was about to happen, [Y/N] locked eyes with Dean. The sound of a loud crack filled the room as the boards began to break away, and the last thing [Y/N] saw was Dean's green eyes grow wide with horror as he watched her plummet through the floor.  
\--------------------  
[Y/N] could vaguely hear voices shouting her name, and two gun shots rang out somewhere in the distance. Her back and shoulders ached, and as her eyes fluttered open, she saw she was in a dark cellar. She looked up slowly and saw she had crashed through both floors of the house. She groaned and rolled to her side, her muscles protesting her movements.  
Broken floor boards lay scattered around her, and a few slid off her body when she moved. She was sore, but her injuries did not strike her as serious, so she carefully propped herself up on one elbow as her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the cellar.  
Sam and Dean were calling out to her, and while [Y/N] heard them, she did not answer, for her focus was now on a third ghost, that of a young, terrified child, crouching under the cellar stairs.  
"Hey, kid, you live here?" [Y/N] asked, keeping her voice soft. The ghost nodded. "I won't hurt you, you can come out. You looking for your parents?"  
Again the ghost nodded, coming out from under the stairs. [Y/N] smiled at him, ignoring the dizziness she felt from her fall.  
"That's good, because I know they're looking for you." She glanced up at the hole above her. "I think they missed you."  
Dean shouted for her again, his voice clearly panicked. Shots rang out again, and the ghost child shrank back under the stairs.  
"Dean, I'm down here!" [Y/N] yelled back. "Stop shooting the ghosts, let them come to me!"  
"Did you... why would... are... are you hurt, [Y/N]?" Dean answered from somewhere above her, confused by her request.  
"I'm fine! Just do what I say and quit shooting the ghosts!" [Y/N] turned to the kid, trying to coax him out of hiding by crooking her finger at him. "Don't worry, kid, they ain't going hurt you. I promise." She smiled at him, then turned back to the hole to call back up to Dean. "I know what the ghosts were attached to, so let them find me! Just trust me!"  
Dean and Sam were discussing something upstairs, but their voices were quieter and [Y/N] could not make out what they were saying, but she was pretty sure Sam was trying to make Dean listen, and Dean was probably still freaking out about watching [Y/N] fall. Her request for him to let the ghosts come to her would not have gone over well with him already worried about her. At least he seemed to be listening to Sam, because their shot guns were still silent.  
A moment later, [Y/N] and the child ghost were joined by the ghost parents on the other side of the cellar.  
"Uh, hi. I'm guessing all this fuss was over him." [Y/N] said, nodding to the ghost child. "We didn't know he was still here. We just thought you were haunting the place." She watched the ghosts, hoping she was right about this, as she realized her shot gun had not fallen with her to the cellar, and if she was wrong she was as good as dead. She licked her lips nervously. "Look, you're together again, you don't need to stay here. Go to him."  
The mother's ghost nodded and both parents drifted past her to join their son. A bright light filled the room, then vanished, leaving [Y/N] alone on the cellar floor. She heaved a sigh of relief, letting her head drop into the crook of her arm as she closed her eyes, at last letting her body relax.  
The moment was short lived as booted feet came stomping down the cellar stairs and [Y/N] was roughly caught up in a strong embrace. The familiar sent of whiskey and gunpowder greeted her nose like a comforting blanket and [Y/N] let herself relax in Dean's arms as he dropped his head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him, and Dean stiffened in surprise before relaxing himself.  
"I'm OK, Dean, I promise." [Y/N] whispered, kissing his temple.  
Dean only held her tighter.  
\--------------------  
[Y/N] groaned blissfully as the hot water pelted her back, releasing some of the tension in her muscles. When they returned to the motel room, Dean had offered her first crack at the shower. He also mentioned taking her out for dinner, but [Y/N] declined and Sam volunteered to do a quick run for take out, leaving Dean looking more than a little crestfallen. After falling through two stories of a house, [Y/N] just wanted a hot shower and a soft bed. As it was she was settling with the motel bed, but after a little reasoning with Dean, he agreed that it was her birthday and he promised to let her call the shots for the rest of the night. But when [Y/N] slipped into the bathroom, she thought Dean was still disappointed that he would not be able to take her out on her birthday. What she could not understand was why it mattered so much to him. As the hot water ran down her back, [Y/N] frowned, knowing she and Dean had a talk coming.  
She turned off the water and wrapped a towel around her body, grabbing another one to dry her [H/L] hair as she stepped out of the shower. She dressed in a pair of yoga pants and one of Dean's old flannels, pulling her slightly damp hair back in to a ponytail. Emerging from the bathroom, [Y/N] found Dean sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.  
She drew a breath before moving to stand before him, lightly resting her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, and she felt terrible seeing the pain in his green eyes.  
"Dean, I'm sorry. I should have been more careful in there." [Y/N] said, hoping an apology might be enough to avoid an argument. "It was stupid of me to have gone in there like that, and I'm sor-"  
Dean jumped to his feet, wrapping his arms around [Y/N] and pulling her close to him. He held her in his protective embrace for several moments without speaking before finally clearing his throat.  
"You ain't the one who should be apologizing here, [Y/NN]." Dean said, his deep voice soft in her ear. "I thought those ghosts killed you when I saw you on the floor like that... I thought I'd lost you, baby. On your friggin' birthday of all days, and I hadn't even wished you a happy birthday yet." He held her at arms' length, and [Y/N] realized the pain in his eyes was that of regret. His jaw tensed visibly. "I shouldn't have dragged you out on a hunt on your day. I should have made the day all about you, done some of that chick flick stuff you like. Instead I screw up your birthday, and you got hurt. I feel like an..."  
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Dean Winchester." [Y/N] scolded, fixing Dean with a hard stare. "That hunt was important, what we did today was important. You know that. I ain't about to let you beat up on yourself just because the case didn't go smoothly. Yeah, I got hurt. Falling through two floors will do that. But shit happens. Good news is we took care of the ghosts, and no one died. I'd say that's a good day. Especially in our line of work." She placed a soft kiss on Dean's lips. "So my birthday didn't look like something out of a romance movie. Big whoop. As long as my day ends with your arms around me, I'd say it's still good."  
Dean pulled [Y/N] into a tight embrace, his jaw still tense. [Y/N] wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.  
"You are everything to me, [Y/N], but today I put the hunt before you. All I focused on was this damned case." He sighed, giving her a quick squeeze before releasing her and easing her on to the bed as he settled beside her. He stared at the wall, his lips pressed into a tight line. "I lost focus of what was most important, and, when you fell, I thought I'd lost you. I'm so scared one day I will lose you." Dean took her hand in his, turning to look at her. "I need you to know how important you are to me. I don't wanna lose you, and I can't have you thinking I don't care about you."  
[Y/N] caught Dean's face in her hands and kissed him deeply until he relaxed and returned the kiss. She pulled away slowly.  
"Dean, I'm not going anywhere." She smiled at him. "And I don't know how I could ever think you didn't care about me with the way you're always trying to protect me. And worrying about me. And acting like you don't like chick flick moments when you say things like that." She sighed and leaned against him, letting Dean wrap his arm around her waist. "You're a good man, you make me happy, and I love you. Maybe everyday ain't perfect, but any day I get to fall asleep with your arms around me is still good. So maybe I wasn't your main focus today, but it seems I am now. That's good enough for me."  
Dean kissed the top of her head tenderly.  
"I love you, too. And I'm gonna do so much better for your next birthday, baby. Just you wait." Dean chuckled, getting up from the bed and rifling through his duffle bag. He pulled out a small package wrapped in newsprint and held it out to [Y/N] with a grin. "At least I remembered to get you a gift for this one. Happy birthday, [Y/N]."


	3. Dean's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Only a Winchester would intentionally plan to be out of town on a hunt on his birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Y/N] - your name  
> [Y/LN] - your last name  
> [Y/NN] - your nickname  
> [E/C] - eye color  
> [H/C] - hair color  
> [H/L] - hair length

[Y/N] [Y/LN] stared out the open window of the Impala lost in thought as she waited for the Winchester brothers to finish questioning a witness. Dean Winchester was worried that the witness might not be what he seems since they were, after all, dealing with a shifter case and he dropped hints that [Y/N] should stay in the car to rest, as it had been a long drive to get to Montana and she hadn't exactly slept during the trip. He never actually flat out ordered her to stay behind, and any other day she would have pushed back on Dean for even suggesting such a thing. But today was Dean Winchester's birthday, and [Y/N]'s original plan to spoil Dean with a day filled with his favorite things was foiled when her boyfriend announced he found a case and insisted they leave the day before his birthday. Since her plans were spoiled and she did not have much else to work with, [Y/N] decided to give Dean one day where he did not have to worry over her getting injured. And so she surprised him by cheerfully, even if she was faking, accepting his suggestion for her to stay behind in the Impala.  
She was disappointed that she and Dean weren't back at the bunker. She wanted to give him a special birthday wake up that involved a mug of coffee, fresh homemade cherry pie, and some lacy black lingerie, but since they woke up in a cheap motel with Sam in the next bed, the only thing she greeted Dean with when he tumbled out of bed was a mug of hot coffee and chaste birthday kiss. All of her special plans for Dean's day had been ruined and [Y/N] was miserable.  
The female hunter was so deeply mired in her thoughts that she did not realize Sam and Dean had returned until Dean opened the driver's side door and slid into the seat.  
"Hey, [Y/N]. You OK back there?" Dean cast a concerned glance at her over his shoulder, his vibrant green eyes catching her [E/C] ones. He reached back and rubbed her knee. "You look a little down, baby."  
"I'm OK, Dean." [Y/N] said hastily, pushing an errant strand of [H/L], [H/C] hair behind her ear. She forced a cheery grin for his benefit. "Just lost in my random thoughts. Did the witness know anything useful?"  
"Nothing we hadn't already figured out." Sam huffed as he fell heavily into the passenger seat. "But at least he confirmed our suspicions."  
"Creepy son of a bitch is posing as attractive men in the city to lure specific ladies to isolated places where he kills them." Dean caught [Y/N]'s eye in the rear view mirror. "Sorry, baby, but you ain't exactly his type. Lucky for me, I don't hafta worry about this one going after you."  
\--------------------  
Dean was wrong about the shifter not targeting [Y/N], even if she did not fit his type of woman. The shifter caught wind of the hunters on his trail. Dean and Sam left [Y/N] in the Impala as they entered the abandoned apartment building the shifter ran into, believing they were still in pursuit of their monster. But the shifter had slipped out of the building and circled around to the Impala, finding the distracted female hunter on her phone, checking her e-mail while she waited for the return of the Winchester brothers.  
Breaking the window, the shifter was able to open the door and wrestle [Y/N] out of the car. Unarmed, the best [Y/N] was able to do was kick and flail to try to slow her captor's progress as she yelled for Dean.  
Dean and Sam raced out of the decrepit building as if it were on fire, both frantically searching for her. Dean, spying his beloved Impala's rear door flung open with a shattered window, bellowed for [Y/N] as he ran passed the car, searching for tracks.  
The shifter turned into Dean and held his hand over [Y/N]'s mouth, muffling her attempts to get Dean's attention. Angrily, the [H/C] haired hunter bit down on the offending hand, a satisfied smirk on her face as the shifter released her with a yell.  
"I'm going to kill you, you bitch, then I'll kill your little friends," snarled the shifter, catching [Y/N] by the jaw with a well aimed punch, sending her reeling back as the shifter pulled a knife and advanced on her.  
"Little? Dude, I'm taller than you." Sam groaned before firing at the shifter, hitting it in the shoulder. The shifter howled and backed away with a snarl. Sam, unfazed by the shifter's form, quickly moved beside [Y/N].  
"There can only be one Dean Winchester, and you ain't even close," taunted the eldest Winchester as he moved to shield Sam and [Y/N] from the shifter. "Time to die, you son of a bitch."  
The shifter changed into [Y/N] just as Dean raised his gun to fire. Dean grimaced and closed his eyes a millisecond after he squeezed the trigger, hitting the shifter between the eyes. The shifter screamed then fell lifeless to the ground.  
[Y/N] ran to Dean, who refused to open his eyes as he clutched his weapon with whitening knuckles, his free hand faintly trembling.  
"Dean?" [Y/N] stood between him and the shifter, who died looking like her, knowing Dean did not want to see her dead on the ground from his bullet, even if it was not truly [Y/N] [Y/LN]. She tried her best to obscure the gruesome sight with her body as she took Dean's face in her hands and lightly kissed his lips. "I'm OK, Dean, I promise."  
Dean wrapped his arms around her and let his head drop, burying his face in her [H/L] hair. [Y/N] guided Dean back to the Impala just like that, speaking reassuringly to him in hushed whispers and leaving Sam to deal with the shifter's body.  
\----------------------  
Sam and [Y/N] finished singing "Happy Birthday" to Dean, and softly applauded as he blew out the lone candle on the store bought cherry pie. Sam had wisely bought a half pint of ice cream for himself and [Y/N], knowing Dean would devour the whole pie himself. They presented Dean with his birthday gifts, which he eagerly unwrapped before returning his focus to the pie. Sam dished out ice cream in plastic cups and [Y/N] handed the Winchester men each a bottle of beer, and kissed Dean on the cheek as he stuffed another forkful of pie happily in his mouth.  
"Just gonna get some ice so we can keep the other beers cool," she mumbled absently as she grabbed the cheap plastic bucket off the mini fridge. She hastily slipped out the door before Sam could offer to go instead. "Be right back."  
[Y/N] pulled the wooden door shut behind her and quietly made her way around to the front office, then around the corner, where the ice machine sat on the far end of the building. She scowled at the ice machine as the cold winter night chilled her. She did not care that she forgot her jacket in the room, she was too busy mentally berating herself for failing to make Dean's birthday special. Angrily, she threw the ice bucket at the machine and cursed under her breath as she wrapped her arms around herself and fell back against the rough brick wall. She let her head thud lightly against the wall and glared and the gloomy night sky.  
"I suck." She groaned, closing her eyes for a moment, trying to get her thoughts together.  
"Hey! No one talks like that about my girlfriend," a deep, chiding voice rumbled to [Y/N]'s right. "Not even my own girlfriend."  
"Dean!" [Y/N] opened her eyes to find Dean, his jacket zipped partway, regarding her with deep concern resonating in his green eyes. She stepped away from the wall toward him, only to have Dean place her jacket over her shoulders and pull her close to him in a warm embrace.  
"You forgot your jacket, sweetheart. Couldn't have you freezing out here." Dean kissed her on the forehead. "Now that we've got a minute, talk to me. You've been down all day. What's bothering you, baby?"  
"Dean, it's your birthday. You shouldn't be worrying about me."  
"You're not getting out of this. Talk to me." Dean held her tightly, kissing her temple. "Please talk to me."  
"Fine." [Y/N] sighed heavily. "I'm sorry about your birthday, Dean. I wanted to make it special, but everything went wrong. We weren't at the bunker so I couldn't make you a proper pie, then Sam had to share a room with us, so the lingerie was out. Then I had to go and get attacked by that damn shifter, and he broke a window on your car." She looked down at the side walk glumly. "It's been kind of a shitty day, and I feel like I let you down, a lot. So, I'm sorry."  
"Hey, don't talk like that," Dean said, giving [Y/N] a squeeze. "It's just my birthday, it's not a big deal."  
"No, Dean, it is a big deal. It's a very big deal. It's your birthday. It's a day where we get to focus on you." [Y/N] looked up, her eyes locking on his as she placed her hands firmly on his upper arms. "You, who sacrifices so much every day for people who don't know you. You, who puts everyone else's needs before his own. You, who have our backs every frigging day. You, who means everything to me. You, Dean Winchester, deserve a national holiday for everything you do. I couldn't give you a holiday, but I should have at least made your birthday special."  
Dean crashed his lips to hers without warning, the kiss deep and lingering. Dean slowly pulled away, grinning broadly at her.  
"You did make it special, [Y/NN]. What you said... well, it was better than any damn card, or gift, or even pie." He chuckled. "And you know how much I love pie."  
"Well," [Y/N] slowly smiled and tilted her head up to kiss him. "Happy birthday, Dean."  
\--------------------  
[Y/N] sang in the shower, enjoying the hot water at Dean's insistence that she take a little time for herself to wash away the stress of the day. Dean told her he would grab her a change of clothes and unzipped [Y/N]'s duffle. He gave a low whistle as he spotted a pair of lacy black panties and a matching negligee.  
"What's up, man?" Sam asked, tilting his head at Dean's whistle.  
"Sammy, get out!" Dean hastily closed [Y/N]'s duffle. "Now."  
Sam raised an eyebrow.  
"Dude, seriously, you gotta leave." Dean smirked. "[Y/NN] packed lacy things, and I wanna see her in 'em before I take 'em off her. That ain't happening with you here. So, get going!"  
Sam groaned and threw his hands up before grabbing his jacket and the keys to the Impala as Dean ushered him out the door, locking it behind his retreating younger brother. Dean laughed and opened the duffle and pulled out the lacy lingerie, setting the garments on the bed for [Y/N].  
"Happy birthday to me."


End file.
